Editorial | Bush's Energy Policy Drill for new ideas
To drill or not to drill, that's the only question.
Washington has declared the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge the zenith of the energy policy war, all the while missing the larger point.
For years, politicians and lobbyists of every stripe have been singularly fixated on drilling for oil in this remote patch of wilderness, known by its acronym, ANWR. Every Congress, there's a new machination to slip the idea through a reluctant Senate. Every few months, President Bush demands extraction of oil there, as he did Wednesday in Ohio.
As if pumping a million barrels more out of Alaska could make a dent in U.S. dependence on foreign oil. As if disrupting the migration of birds and beasts could really end gas pump sticker shock, while skyrocketing Chinese demand continues to drive world prices up.
If only the nation were powered on hyperbole. The country could chug along on ANWR rhetoric alone.
Likewise, tapping the Strategic Oil Reserve - the 600 million barrels of crude stored in underground caverns for national emergencies - is perpetually touted as the answer to stabilizing oil prices, if only the President would act. About 15 mostly Democrats, led by New York Sen. Charles Schumer, trotted out that perennial loser this week.
Washington should stop pretending there's a magical solution to the nation's energy woes and start moving America toward new power sources for the future.
President Bush had the right recipe in Wednesday's speech, just a few wrong ingredients.
Unlike earlier in his administration, when Vice President Cheney discounted energy conservation as "a sign of personal virtue," Bush has embraced it as a smart way to reduce demand.
"The more we conserve, the less we use; and the less we use, the less dependent we are on foreign sources of energy," Bush said.
He talked of energy-saving advances in refrigerators, traffic lights, computers and automobiles. He needs to go beyond talk, stop yielding to industry pressure, and set tough efficiency standards to induce businesses and consumers to replace energy hogs with misers.
Touting the nation's 250-year supply of coal to produce electricity, the President admitted coal's "environmental challenge" in terms of air pollution. He promised investment in so-called "clean coal" technology to aim for a future "zero emissions" power plant. At the same time, however, he lobbied for his "Clear Skies" initiative, which sets weak pollution standards for coal-fired plants, including the oldest and dirtiest. He can't have it both ways.
The President believes his grandchildren will drive cars powered by hydrogen. Perhaps. In the interim, he should push hybrid and other bridge technology to improve vehicle fuel economy. He's also right to support gasoline alternatives such as biodiesel.
The well of energy ideas is deep. Congress needs to move beyond the frozen tundra to more fertile ground.
© 2005 Philadelphia Inquirer and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.philly.com
